Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1430714
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A aron Brooks is hoping that his trip to Tokyo in 2021 will help him get to Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028. The Penn State junior wrestler, who last season won his first NCAA champi- onship at 184 pounds and will have three opportunities to repeat, has competitive aspirations that transcend journeys to Detroit, Tulsa and Kansas City, sites of the next three NCAA Wrestling Cham- pionships. He is coached by Olympic gold med- alists and works out with a recently crowned Olympic champion, so having one (or two) of his own medals for the mantle is the goal that has served as mo- tivation since winning four Maryland state championships, a Cadet World title in freestyle and a silver medal in freestyle at Junior Worlds while at North Hager- stown High School. Former Penn State star David Taylor, who won the gold medal at 86 kilograms (189 pounds) at the Summer Games in August, chose Brooks to be his Tokyo training partner, part of a PSU contin- gent that also included head coach Cael Sanderson. It was a trip that Brooks won't soon forget. "This summer was a blessing being able to travel with David and just be at the Olympic Games," Brooks said. "That's somewhere I see myself in the near future, so to be able to see how the training goes leading up to that kind of competition and just being able to kind of tag along and pick the brains of the top coaches at Team USA and spend more time with Coach Cael and training with everyone this summer just was a great blessing for me. "I'm really grateful for it. I got a lot better at wrestling, and I got some miles for traveling, too, so it was a good sum- mer." Sanderson called Brooks' adventure not only a training opportunity but also a service opportunity. "He was there serving and helping David, and whoever else was there that needed a partner. We're grateful that he was willing to take three weeks out of his summer to go be a training partner," Sanderson said. "It's definitely a perk for him. And for our program, I think people can just see that our guys compete at their best in the biggest moments. There's a big differ- ence between being at your absolute best in the biggest moments and being close to being your best." Brooks said neither he nor his three teammates who captured NCAA gold last March will have any problem being at their best this season. "Each individual is different, but if someone's goal is to just be an NCAA champion, it might be harder for them to be motivated after they win that NCAA championship. I think for a lot of our guys, thankfully, we have goals outside of NCAA wrestling as well," Brooks said. "When you want to be an Olympic champ, it's kind of hard to settle with an NCAA championship. I have more goals I want to reach. I'm very excited that I reached my NCAA championship, but I know I want to achieve higher things. That's what keeps me motivated." That means a fresh start in what is technically Brooks' first full season of collegiate wrestling. He had his red- shirt pulled during his freshman season; he won a Big Ten title, but the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis were canceled because of COVID-19. Last season, there were only six dual meets prior to the conference and national tournaments. "I'm going out there to reach my goals. I don't want to think of it as, I'm the de- fending champion or I have to protect something. I still want to go out there and hunt for my goals and chase the things I want to achieve," Brooks ex- plained. "Last year is last year. It was great to win, and it was a great feeling. But this is a new year, new competition, and I'm really excited for the new opportunities this year." The Nittany Lions finished second to Iowa at the Big Ten and NCAA tourna- ments, and one of the key reasons why they weren't able to come away with team titles was that they didn't accu- mulate the number of bonus points that Penn State teams have been known for under Sanderson for the past decade. "I think that's one thing we as a team have really tried to focus on this year, just bonus points on top and transitioning from takedowns to back points," Brooks said. "It makes a huge difference, and we've seen that in previous teams. I think this is the most talented team Penn State has ever had, and when you get bonus points that makes your job a lot easier as a team. "You don't want to just focus on bonus J I M C A R L S O N | B L U E W H I T E C O N T R I BU TO R Penn State opened its season with a pair of victories at the Journeymen Duals, which took place Nov. 13 at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Manheim, Pa. The Nittany Lions blasted Sacred Heart, 47-3, before topping Oregon State, 32-7. It was the Lions' four returning national champions who racked up bonus points in both matches. Senior Roman Bravo-Young (133 pounds), senior Nick Lee (141), sophomore Carter Starocci (174) and junior Aaron Brooks (184) all won at least one of their bouts by either a technical fall or fall. Head coach Cael Sanderson also saw 165-pound junior Creighton Edsell earn his first two regular- season wins in blue and white, and the same went for Cornell transfer and 197-pound starter Max Dean, who appears to have beaten out returning All-American Michael Beard for that spot. Sophomore Baylor Shunk drew the start at 125 pounds after an offseason battle that featured nu- merous wrestlers. He dropped both matches in Manheim. The Nittany Lions will continue to allow competition at that spot, and a transfer addition to shore up the weight class can't be ruled out, either. The Lions followed the Journeyman Duals with their home opener Nov. 18 against Army. They will be back in action on Dec. 3 when they travel to Philadelphia for a dual meet against Penn. — Greg Pickel Lions Open With Dual Meet Victories Over Sacred Heart, Oregon State